Reviving The Withered Rose
by withered rose 14
Summary: Sequel to SetUp Sleep Over. Murtagh leaves Nasuada and the story begins 5 years later. They are all pursuing their careers, and Murtagh returns. Nasuada becomes the opposite of her true self. What would happen to them now? murtagh/nasuada & E/A
1. Prologue

**This is a sequel of my first modern Inheritance Cycle drama. **

**Since I'm free for the month of September, I decided to grant some of the requests sent to me by some Readers by finally writing a sequel.**

**I hope you enjoy reading this and as much as I enjoy writing it. I will do my best to update frequently.**

………………………………………………………………..

"_Hi, Murtagh." Nasuada greeted. _

_The dark haired teen turned around with a melancholy look upon his face and faced her. _

"_What's up with that look?" Nasuada asked worriedly. "Did you get a bad grade again?"_

"_No." Murtagh replied as he shook his head. "I need to tell you something."_

"_What is it?" Nasuada could feel her gut turning upside down. _

_Murtagh sighed. "Don't take this seriously." He started carefully. "You know graduation is coming, right?"_

"_Is this about you going away to that exclusive university your stepmom got you into?" Nasuada asked. "Murtagh, we've talked about this a thousand times, I'm fine with it. As long as it's for your future, I'm totally cool with it."_

"_No, that's not it." Murtagh looked away. "I don't think that I can go on like this. You know, with you."_

_Nasuada felt like she's been fit by a speeding bus. "What?" her tongue felt like lead. "Why? Did I do something wrong? Have I offended you in any way?"_

"_It's not you, Nasuada." Murtagh placed his hands on both of her shoulders. "It's me. Don't blame yourself because you are really awesome. I love you so much but…"_

"_But what?" Nasuada was biting back her sobs and fighting her tears. "Because Orrin is trying to woo me away from you? B-because you're cheating on me with Trianna?"_

"_Hey," Murtagh's voice slightly rose. "I was not cheating on you, she kissed me on purpose!"_

"_And it was Orrin who invited me to their house for dinner and nothing happened between us!" Nasuada snapped back. _

_Murtagh slammed his locker door shut in anger. "I am trying to take a diplomatic approach in this conversation and you ruin it."_

"_I am not!" Nasuada yelled, crying. "I don't know where I went wrong, I thought we were growing strong and we promised each other that we'll conquer college together and here you are hitting me on my weak points!"_

"_Oh," Murtagh rolled his eye in frustration. "So Orrin is your weak point?"  
"I did not say anything about that! Just tell me where I went wrong."_

"_I just need some space."_

"_That's bullshit. Why the hell would you need space? I'm giving you all the space in the world!" Nasuada threw her hands up. "I let you do what you want and I stay out of your business!"_

"_Alright, you know what? Forget breaking it gently." Murtagh glared. "I'm tired of you."_

"_What?" Nasuada felt shocked._

"_You heard me." Murtagh sounded irritated. "I'm tired of you. I need space. I need to break free."_

_Murtagh raked his fingers across his hair and sighed. "Maybe, it was wrong of me to ask you just yet. I feel like I haven't done the things I need to really feel complete and satisfied. And besides, we're graduating. I'm going to a faraway university and keeping a long distance relationship would be difficult."_

_Murtagh sighed and looked at Nasuada straight in the eye. "I'm breaking up with you."_

_Nasuada was crying now. She was lucky that all the other students went home and only the two of them were left._

"_I thought you were all worth it." Nasuada sobbed. She avoided Murtagh's eyes and looked down on the floor. _

"_I guess that I'm not." Murtagh replied coolly. "But maybe, just maybe someday, the tides will change for you."_

_Nasuada shook her head. "I trusted you Murtagh." She sniffed. "But I guess you were no different from Blodgharm."_

_With that, Nasuada spun on her heel and walked away leaving Murtagh alone. _

_He sighed and walked the other way out the school._

_

* * *

  
_

_Outside, on the bleachers beside the school, Arya and Eragon sat in silence, listening from the window near them._

"_Wow," Eragon shook his head in disappointment. "Who knew that even Mt. Farthen Dur would shake when those two fight?"_

_He smiled while looking up, "They just got the attention of the whole world!" he tried to lighten up the mood after what they just heard, but Arya just stayed quiet._

"_Hey," Eragon placed an arm around her. "What's wrong?"_

_Arya just shook her head. A deep frown graced her face. "That sleepover, all those picnics, all the effort to help Nasuada move on and find happiness, gone to waste."_

"_Things like this happen, Arya." Eragon tightened his hold on her. "I'm just surprised that Murtagh would do that. I-I thought he really loves her. I mean, since childhood, he already has feelings for her."_

_Even the both of them were shaken up by what just happen._

"_Everything happens for a reason." Eragon told her. _

"_But what could Murtagh's reason be?" Arya asked, resting her head onto Eragon's shoulder._

"_I don't know." Eragon replied._

_Arya merely sighed. "No offence, but your brother is a jerk."_

"_I know." He just smiled._

_

* * *

  
_

_In the park, Murtagh sat on a bench beside the pond. A woman with deep blue eyes and long, wavy brunette hair sat beside him._

"_Hi, handsome." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning in to kiss him, but Murtagh pushed her away._

"_Shut up." He growled in anger. "Get off me, Trianna." _

"_Is the job done?" she asked._

_Murtagh shook in anger, but he avoided her evil blue eyes._

"_Yes." He replied._

_Trianna giggled. "Oh, it must be a quite a show!" _

"_Just shut the hell up and give me what you promised." He snapped at her._

_Trianna laughed, "Fine, fine." And gave him a medium sized envelope._

"_Welcome to Shurtugal University, Murtagh." She giggled evilly. "I will see to your scholarship and schedule your interview with my uncle, the dean."_

"_I hate you." Murtagh said through gritted teeth. "Why do you have to involve Nasuada in this?"_

"_Would you rather have me do this to your brother," she asked with a mocking look. "Or to your girlfriend?"_

_Murtagh wasn't able to answer. He just glared at her, his grip slightly crumpling the envelope. _

"_That's what I thought." Trianna stood up confidently. "But personally, I'll do it to Eragon and to Saphira since those two got me kicked out. But hey," she shrugged. "Nasuada broke Blodgharm's heart. My poor baby."_

"_Blodgharm was going to use her!" Murtagh stood up as well; he fought the urge to strangle her. _

"_Not at all." Trianna replied. "He has feelings too, you know."_

_She picked up her designer purse and held it gracefully. "Oh well, what is done is done. You got into the university and you have a promising future ahead of you. And don't even think of whipping up some trickery, because I can take your scholarship just as fast." _

_She turned around and prepared to walk away. "Don't worry, Murtagh." She said coolly. "You can worry about Nasuada again in four years. You can even go back and beg her forgiveness. That is," she smirked."If she'll forgive you."_

_She turned her head slightly to eye Murtagh. "Congratulations, Murtagh. You'll be managing the company your father entitled to you in no time."_

_She laughed slightly. "Don't worry, you and Nasuada will have same profession, since she is the heiress to the Varden Corps. Empire."_

_With that, Trianna strutted off gracefully, leaving Murtagh alone in the park. _

**That's as far as I can go tonight, guys. I hope you find it interesting. **

**For those who can't relate, I suggest you read the prequel, Set Up Sleep Over.**

**I'll update AS SOON AS I CAN. R&R**


	2. Chapter 1

**Thanks to the people who sent reviews and comments for the epilogue. **

It was seven in the morning and people were already bustling in and out of the emergency room of Alageasia General Hospital. A pleasant _ding_ sounded on the intercom before a female voice spoke.

"_Paging Dr. Shadeslayer. Paging Dr. Shadeslayer. Please proceed to the emergency room immediately."_

Moments later, the white swing doors parted and a light haired youth entered the room.

The nurses stared and some of them giggled slightly as he passed them by while some of the patients stared in amazement.

Eragon Shadeslayer Bromsson is one of the city's youngest doctors and one of the states' finest. He was accelerated immediately because of his outstanding grades and after graduating from med school at the young age of twenty-four, he took the board exams and out of a thousand who took the exams, only half were able to pass and Eragon landed on the top fifteen.

As Eragon walked in, a slender, blonde nurse hurried to his side.

"Good morning, doctor." She said breathlessly.

"Good morning, Heidi." Eragon replied with a smile. "And what do we have today?"

"Uhm, yes, of course." Heidi stuttered and looked at the clip board she was clutching against her chest.

"There is a Ms. Nasuada Nightstalker waiting for you in the emergency ward, bed 4."

"What happened this time?" Eragon paused to sign a clipboard at the counter and continued to walk briskly after he was done.

Nasuada was just here three weeks ago with a deep cut on her arm which needed stitches.

"Broken wrist." Heidi replied. "Freak accident, she claims."

"Well," Eragon shrugged. "That's just typical."

"Indeed, doctor." Heidi agreed with a smile. "I'll go attend to another patient now."

"I'll call you if I need assistance." Eragon told her. She nodded and walked away.

Eragon walked to the fourth bed in the ward and pushed aside the curtain divider to see his patient.

"Well, looky here." He started. "Did you trip over the coffee table again?"

Nasuada looked up from her PDA and kept it in her designer bag.

"No." she replied with a cheeky smile, almost laughing at her own stupidity. "I tripped over a marble."

"And where did the marble come from?" Eragon asked, as he held out his hand to Nasuada, a gesture indicating that he wants to see her injury.

Nasuada held out her left wrist to him carefully and slowly, avoiding any sudden movements that could cause pain.

"I have no idea." Nasuada flinched when Eragon gently squeezed the sides of her wrist with his thumb and index finger.

"It's swelling." Eragon murmured to himself.

He looked up to meet Nasuada's eyes.

"Can you move it?" he asked.

"No." Nasuada shook her head.

"Alright," Eragon nodded. "I can fix this."

"You can fix anything." Nasuada rolled her eyes.

"You flatter me." Eragon laughed. "But don't be such a kiss ass."  
"I am so not!" Nasuada was startled when her cell phone suddenly rang.  
"Could you please excuse me for a moment?" And she flipped her phone open.

"Hello?" she said to the caller. Then she sighed when the person on the other line spoke.

"No. Yes. Just a few minutes. Oh, and Farica? Please cancel my morning appointment with the telecommunications director and reschedule it on Friday. Thank you." Then she hung up by closing her phone.

"Busy, huh?" Eragon asked unrolling the plaster cloth a nurse handed to him a while ago while Nasuada was busy talking on the phone with her secretary, Farica.

"Yeah." Nasuada sighed. "My feet haven't touched the ground for a week now. So many meetings, seminars and paper signing."

Eragon carefully wrapped the bandage around Nasuada's wrist. "Well, you are the head of one of the country's most powerful companies."

Nasuada just smiled. She remembered when she first started on the job as the CEO of the company she inherited from her father upon his death. Ever since her first day, her job slowly took away her memories of having to live normally. But she never failed to be with her friends when they needed her and that is something she is proud of.

"All done." Eragon suddenly said, it startled Nasuada and she snapped back to reality.

"That was fast." She commented and studied her plastered wrist. The plaster cloth was expertly wrapped around it.

"Now," Eragon's medical training kicked in for the first time since she was here. "Do not force your left arm to do any strenuous, activities like carrying your bag, for a while. That would be the best solution to avoid hurting your wrist."

"And the meds?" Nasuada asked.

"You can take some aspirin if you're in pain." Eragon replied.

Nasuada stood up and shouldered her bag with her other arm. "Alright, thank you, doctor." She said. She pressed a button to reject an incoming call on her phone and said to Eragon without looking. "I'll call you when something goes wrong. I just hope I won't be back again here in a week with a broken nose."

"You are most certainly welcome." Eragon chuckled. "Just be careful. You seem to be a favorite target of freak accidents."

"It's a gift." Nasuada winked. "I have to go. I'm late for a meeting."

"Go get 'em, Nassy." Eragon teased.

"Shut up." Nasuada laughed. "I'll see you around."

"Take care now."

Nasuada spun on her heel and headed for the exit of the emergency room leaving Eragon inside.

Once alone, Eragon headed out the other exit to the hallway. There weren't a lot of people around there unlike in the emergency room.

He walked towards the elevator when…

"Doctor?" a deep smooth, voice behind him.

"Yes, how can I help y—"Eragon turned around to see the person who called him but stopped when he finally saw him.

"Murtagh!" Eragon exclaimed when he saw a lean, dark haired youth wearing fine, formal business clothes standing not far from him.

"The one and only." Murtagh smirked.

They shared a quick man hug then broke off.

"So," Murtagh started, he was a bit bashful about what he was going to say, but he covered it with a formal air. "Broken wrist, huh?"

Eragon can't help but smile. "We're you following her?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and a suspicious smile.

"What?" Murtagh scoffed. "No, I'm not."

"Riiight." Eragon rolled his eyes. "And you are here, why? You look perfectly fine."

"Oh yeah," Murtagh said with a defensive tone. "I was just done with an appointment with my shrink. Today's my last session. "

"You have a shrink?" Eragon asked in disbelief.

"Well yes." Murtagh replied. "And before you even get the wrong idea; No, I do not do drugs, have neither a drinking problem, nor a loose screw in the head."

"Then why?" Eragon crossed his arms over his chest.

Murtagh sighed. "Past related."

"Oh." Eragon paused.

"How come I didn't know that you were seeing a shrink here?" he asked.

"You ask too many questions." Murtagh complained.

"I'm a doctor." Eragon shrugged. "I check the facts."

"Well, that's deep." Murtagh commented. "And as for answering you question; did you even bother to check?"

Eragon was silent for a while. "I did not know that we had shrinks here until now."

"I hope that answers your question." Murtagh chuckled. He looked at his watch and said; "Well, I have to go to work. I'm meeting some sponsors and other company directors in half an hour."

"That's the very same thing Nasuada said." Eragon smiled.

Murtagh felt uneasy, he loosened his tie a little bit then fixed it again.

"Well," he cleared his throat. "That's what CEOs do, you know."

Eragon just chuckled faintly. "Alright, I'll see you later then."

"Sure." Murtagh replied and turned to take his leave.

"Hey, Murtagh?" Eragon called and Murtagh looked over his shoulder.

"You should come and join us sometime." Eragon said. "You know, when you have the time."

Murtagh nodded with a smile and left.

Eragon pushed the button on the elevator and it opened with no time to spare.

He got inside and pushed the button to the fourth floor. The doors closed as he did so.

"I had no idea we had a shrink here." He muttered to himself.


End file.
